If you have just joined as a supporter of the Corbyn leadership, then it’s really important to get active. We need as many people as possible at branch meetings and the General Committee of the constituency to make our views known and vote for officers who represent the views of the membership.

It’s quite daunting to get involved with the Labour Party to begin with, and particularly if you’re a Jeremy Corbyn supporter in a branch dominated by the Right. Get in touch with us and have a chat about how to get involved.

Below are a few tips on how it all works.

Structure of the Constituency Labour Party (the CLP)

The  constituency is made up of ten branches.

The branches meet monthly (except in August and December) and have discussions on Labour Party issues. Branch meetings should also be a forum for organising campaigns, but they will only be like that if left wingers demand it.

Every year, each branch has an Annual General Meeting (AGM). The branch AGMs take place between July and October. Please keep an eye on our homepage or get in touch to find out when and where your branch AGM will take place.

The AGM elects a Chair (who runs the meetings and should make sure the meetings are welcoming and inclusive), a Secretary (who is responsible for communicating with members, there are several hundred in each ward), the Treasurer (who looks after the branch’s finances) and other officers such as the Membership Secretary and Campaigns Officer.

The branch AGM also elects delegates to the General Committee (GC) of the constituency.  This decides issues such as which members go to Labour Party conference. All members can attend the GC, but only delegates can vote.

As a member of the party, you can stand at the AGM to become an officer or a delegate to the GC. If you’re thinking of doing this get in touch so we can give you advice on how to campaign.

Motions

If you want to raise an issue to do with something going on in the world or within the Labour Party, you as a member have a right to submit a motion to your branch. This will then be discussed and voted on. If it is passed, it will go to the GC for the delegates there to vote on it.